It's A New Year
by I - The Phoenix
Summary: It's a new year; Harry Potter Next Generation. It's Hogwarts. There's a Potions professor who's a bit insane, a Charms teacher who doesn't exactly know what's happening, and then, of course, there's the new trio; WesleyPotterMalfoy. Not what anyone expect
1. Chapter 1

FACT: I don't own Harry Potter; I'm not Britsh nor am I richer than the Queen of England, right now I don't have enough money to buy the next volume of Fullmetal Alchemist; please don't sue me.

**Chapter One -- Replaced**

Scorpius Malfoy met the boy who had taken his place in Slytherin wandering throughout the Transfiguration hallways like an idiot, looking for the Potions classroom.

"What are you _doing?" _asked Scorpius finally, after watching him walk up and down the same corridor for the eighth time.

"Looking for the Potions classroom," said Potter. "Some boys in my House said it would be here."

"Potter, the Potions classroom in the _lower dungeons._ This is the _transfiguration hallway. _There **is** a mild difference. I know, surprising." he nodded as sagely as an eleven-year-old knows how.

Potter said stupidly "Oh." Then he wandered off down the hallway. Scorpius had no doubt that he would probably lose his way again, but didn't bother following him to be sure. He was a Ravenclaw, after all, not a Gryffindor.

.&.

"Malfoy, you're doing it completely wrong," the Weasley girl says – but gently. "It's _swish _and _flick, _not _flick _and _swish._ Always remember Barnaby the Brave, who got trampled by a buffalo in his first year."

"He got trampled by a buffalo?" asked Scorpius incredulously. "How'd he manage that?"

"Poor wand movement, like you're showing. It amazes me that you're a Ravenclaw," she added disdainfully. "And it's Wingardium Levi_o_sa, not Wingardium Levio_sa,_"

"Well, let's see _you _do it then," he challenged.

The Weasley girl swishes; the Weasley girl flicks. She says the charm; the feather floats. Gryffindor gets ten points; Ravenclaw loses five and Scorpius has homework.

He can't help but wonder how Barnaby the Brave really got a buffalo out of his wand. But that's why he's a Ravenclaw, after all, instead of a Slytherin.

Scorpius wonders how one becomes a Gryffindor; he wonders about House loyalties and Slytherins and Albus Severus Potter who replaced him, and he wonders about what qualifies him as a Ravenclaw.

He joins Devon and Kyan and Riona, and they go to the Great Hall for lunch. But he keeps wondering about Potter.


	2. Quidditch

FACT: ...Unfortunately, I still don't own Harry Potter.

Response to (single) Review:

Kitty – Now I want to call you 'Feline' because that's a type of cat. -ehm- Anywho, yeah, of course Rose does it _exactly _like Hermione. She was supposed to focus more on the buffalo. But she didn't, because...uhm...she's dealing with me and I don't think I'm very good about writing about buffalos. ...That made no sense. But APPRECIATE IT ANYWAY. HA.

WHOA, IT'S BEATRIX POTTER'S BIRTHDAY. COOL!! Anyhow, this will be way more indepth than the first chapter. We hope.

**Chapter Two – Quidditch**

After what was now nationally referred to as 'the Harry Potter Incident', first years were now allowed on school Quidditch teams. This is not to say that there were not various injuries, falling-off-brooms, and general idiocy performed by the first years. This was probably why they were not allowed on Quidditch teams in the first place. But, nevertheless, it can be stated that most first years weren't good enough to be on their House Quidditch teams anyhow. And so begins the chaos and the legend that is one's first year at a magical school.

.&.

"Eat the pudding. It's good for your health."

"Eating pudding will not improve the state of my well-being, whatever you might say."

"Scorpy, you haven't really lived until you've eaten Hogwarts's pudding."

"I'll keep on being dead then."

"Scorpius Malfoy! You are entirely too infuriating. Argh."

"Thank you. I do my best, Devon." smirked Scorpius around his book.

"So, are you going to try out for Quidditch this week?"

"Devon, we haven't even had _flying _class yet." pointed out Scorpius. "How can__you **possibly **think about Quidditch tryouts? For goodness's sake, we haven't even finished _breakfast _yet!"

"It's better to be early than late," retorted Devon. "Besides, you're a _Malfoy._ You must have been flying since you were _three._"

"Five, actually," he corrected gently. "And I'm not really that good --" he started.

"And now we know why you weren't Sorted into Slytherin...you're too modest. C'mon, it'll be _fun._"

"I'll think about it," promised Scorpius. But to himself, he doubted that he'd _ever _be good enough for the Hogwarts Quidditch Teams. This may have been because he, Scorpius Malfoy, was deadly afraid of heights.

.&.

The 'deadly fear of heights' was not a problem, however, for the other first years who had Ambition To Become A Star Quidditch Player. And if Scorpius were here, he would correct my odd grammar in that sentence. Fortunately for me, Scorpius is not here, and we can focus on the other extremely-short-people in the general vicinity.

"ALBUS!" Someone appeared to be yelling his name.

"What?"he mumbled, still mostly asleep. Someone whacked him with a book. Hardcover. "Alright, alright, I'm _awake, _darn you,"

"Good." The Slytherin girl sat next to him. "As you may know, Quidditch tryouts are fast approaching, and you are going to try out, mainly because you are the son of the result of the 'Harry Potter Incident'."

"Say again?" asked Albus, totally baffled.

"You're trying out for the Quidditch team because you're the son of Harry Potter," she said again.

"This makes sense why?"

"Because both your parents are semi-well-known Quidditch players, your grandparents were both Quidditch players, and your mother has an entire family who's incredibly good at Quidditch. It's genes, you know. Therefore you're a good Quidditch player, and Slytherin is going to win the House Cup this year."

"Good for them. They can do it without me."

"ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER!" she yelled. Albus and a good half of his house jumped. "It is in your best interests to try out for the Quidditch team. Maybe you won't even get _on _the Quidditch team. But there's no harm in trying, _is there?_"

"You mean, it's in _your _best interests." he corrected.

"Well, yes, but I'm sure you'll benefit as well. Come and practice with me."

"Don't we have flying lessons for that?"

"Yes, but I've got six brothers. Five of them were on the Quidditch team. I think I'm a better person to practice with than Madam Hooch, who is going to insist you stand _next _to a Comet Three-sixty and say 'Up', like that'll ever help you in your career of Quidditch."

"Are you ever going to give up?" he asked finally, after hearing a dozen different arguments on why he should try out for the Quidditch team.

"One of a Slytherin's Finer Qualities is Perseverance."

"Isn't that the same as Stubborness?"

"No, that's for the Gryffindorks."

"Ah." He was starting to get used to the constant dislike of Gryffindors. Actually, quite a few of them were puns, and they were, well, _punny._ Haha. He had made a joke. Whatever.

"So, no, I'm not going to give up until you start using this beautiful weekend to catch up on whatever flying skills you do have, which, I have confidence, are numerous and well-honed."

"Fine. Just let me sleep for another hour."

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Obviously you didn't go to bed early enough last night."

"Transfiguration essay to finish," he muttered.

"What! And I thought you were going to procrastinate all weekend over it. I'm impressed Scorp--Albus."

"Did you just nearly call me Scorpius?"

"...Er, no. C'mon, let's go." With these words, they Went In Search Of A Broom To Fly On In Order To Practice For Important Things, For Example, Like Quidditch Tryouts.

.&.

"And then the Kneazel – ROSE STOP POKING ME ALREADY." James Potter turned around and glared at his younger cousin.

"When are Quidditch tryouts?"

"Friday. You'll never make it. Go away."

"Wait and see." muttered Rose, stalking away.

.&.

After six hours of Scorpius refusing to fly, Devon MacKenzie finally got the truth out of him. "You're afraid of heights."

"Can't help it."

"...Why?"

"Because there's me, on the broom, six thousand feet above everyone else, and then the space in between, and then me _not _on the broom, because I've fallen off, and then me colliding with the ground, which will hurt."

"You're insane."

"I'm glad you've finally realized it."

Kyan, who was reading a book near them, said calmly. "Scorpius, you're just suffering from 'vertigo'. There's a simple spell that will help you."

"Really?"

"Yes. Many people suffer from it. It's a perfectly reasonable fear, although if you were any good at all, you wouldn't have to worry about falling off."

"Shut up," replied Scorpius, turning an interesting shade of pink.

"Do you want to know the spell or not?"

"Sure," he finally acquiesced.

It was simple. A few words, and vertigo was no longer much of an issue.

And there were still seven days until Quidditch tryouts. Someone please kindly insert a drumroll here.

.&.

Once upon a time there were some people, who made a game, called Quidditch. Some other people called these original people stupid, others said they were geniuses. The people who said they were geniuses won, and everyone else stared in shock as people flying on brooms caught magical balls and made idiots of themselves and made millions of Galleons. And Ireland won the Quidditch World Cup the last time it was held in England.

As a result, these people who made this game called Quidditch never meant for eleven-to-seventeen-year-old students to play this game, but they did at a school called Hogwarts. While a lot of people said this was _really _stupid, they were politely ignored and that is why there were Quidditch Tryouts Happening today, which was Friday, incidentally enough.

The Ravenclaw team had been mostly sorted out; the two Beaters had been chosen as Maria Wood, a second year, and Alex Xing, a third year. The Chasers were the same as last year – Lorean Lovegood was now the captain, in fifth year, and Sylvia Wood, in fourth year and her younger brother, Stephen Wood, in third year.

Now all they needed was a Keeper and a Seeker.

_That _was going to be a problem.

There were only first years left. Lorean berated himself for dismissing the older players rather too quickly. Right. So, there was the Shannon girl, and the two McKenzie girls and their brother, and the Malfoy (not like he'd be any good), and then Finch-Fletchley, who was probably going to be worse than the Malfoy.

So he started off with a flying test; general skills and whatnot. Neither the Shannon girl nor Finch-Fletchley got past _that, _though they didn't seem too disappointed.

Riona of the McKenzies apparently couldn't catch worth anything, and while Devon blocked quite well, he couldn't catch, either. So he recruited Devon as the Keeper, though he'd been vying for the position of Seeker.

In the end, it was the Malfoy boy and the other McKenzie girl who were competing for Seeker. The girl was apparently more confident, which helped, but Malfoy did make some rather impressive catches. So he told the McKenzie 'maybe next year', and for the first time, well, _ever, _the Ravenclaw Quidditch team had a Malfoy Seeker.

Lorean was quite happy with his decision.

.&.

Dominique knew who would fill the empty position of Chaser. She knew before she started tryouts. It is fair to say that she wasn't paying much attention to the others who were vying for that position, but she was determined, and no one could sway her now.

The Beaters had been chosen; the fifth year twins Robin and Jack Wood; Edward Wood was her second year Keeper, and her arrogant Seeker was filled by James Potter. She was a Chaser with her cousin Fred Weasley, a fourth year, and she knew who was going to fill the empty Chaser position that Roxanne had abandoned this year in favor of being Score-keeper.

She had seen her play before; a classic thing to do at Weasley family reunions was play Quidditch. And that was how Rose Weasley earned her way of becoming the Third Chaser, which sounds important if you add capital letters to it like that.

Yes, Dominique was certainly pleased.

.&.

The Hufflepuffs hadn't had Quidditch tryouts; all of their current players were alumni.

.&.

Raphael Farai, Seeker of the Slytherin Quidditch team, had asked Professor Lupin to handle Quidditch tryouts. He had picked Kathryn Miracle as his new Keeper, and she was a _very _good one. That was good.

But his younger sister was trying out for the position of Chaser among several of the first years, and above all, he didn't want to be accused of favoring her. So he asked the nearest teacher who was passing by, which happened to be Professor Theodore Lupin.

And Lupin had accepted.

Professor Lupin himself was unsure if he should actually have done that – he had no idea what he was doing, and he himself had only ever played Keeper. Not Chaser. Bloody Chasers, messing up all his carefully-planned goal-keeping skills. Of course, without Chasers, there would never be any Keepers. So to fulfill the position of Chaser for the Slytherin Quidditch team, he had them all do obscure flying tests and throw the Quaffles back and forth to each other. Then, as they all looked at him expectantly, he randomly chose two of them; later, it turned out that they were both first years; Albus Severus Potter, whom he _had _admittedly recognized, and Lydia Farai.

Yes, well, they had all been good. And Raphael seemed to be happy.

And that was how the Slytherin Quidditch team came to consist of Raphael Farai as their Seeker, Edmund Pevensie and Skandar Robinson as their third year Beaters, Kathryn Miracle as their Keeper, Albus Severus Potter as Chaser One, Lysander Lovegood as Chaser Two, and Lydia Farai as Chaser Three.

.&.

"See!" crowed Lydia to Albus afterwards. "All that effort was worth it."

"Why on _earth _did he make me a _Chaser?"_ yelped Albus. "I missed _so _many of those stupid Quaffles."

"Oh well, you probably have Some Inner Quidditch Qualities that You Don't Know About."

"Reassuring."

"Very."

.&.

"Sorry, Kyan," offered Scorpius to his friend.

Kyan shrugged. "Oh well. As he said, maybe next year."

.&.

"Congratulations, Rose," grinned Dominique.

Rose returned the grin. "Thanks."

.&.

Life was good. But of course, no one knew of the Danger that Was Lurking Ahead.

**The End Of The Chapter**

Aragog wants you to review. Well? It was certainly longer. -stares at the seven pages- The notation on my plot chart that inspired this chapter:

QUIDDITCH TRYOUTS. Albus-Sev Seeker for Slytherin. Rose chaser. Scorpy Seeker for Ravenclaw. DUN DUN DUN. And James is the Seeker for Gryffindor. Apparently it's now a strategy to have 1st-2nd-3rd yrs as Seekers 'cause they're Short.

And...Aragog wants you to review.


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